On the Commons of Bray

View of the commons in the town of Bray, in Wicklow Ireland. There is evidence of a Viking settlement in this area, 12 miles from Dublin, but village itself dates from 1171, when the manor of Bré at the ford of the Dragle River, was granted to Walter de Ridlesford, who built a castle here in 1173. The introduction of a carriage service to the village in 1770 attracted visitors to the area and by the 19th century it was a popular tourist attraction with Turkish baths and a long sandy beach.